Toy calculator for education

ABSTRACT

A toy calculator comprises a flat case member with its interior space divided into parallel channels and calculating bars having a form insertable into said channels. Some of numerals and symbols constituting an arithmetic equation are drawn on the calculating bar and the others and an answer numeral are drawn on the wall of the channel. Windows are bored through the wall at least for seeing the numerals drawn on the calculating bar.

United States Patent [1 1 Hurue July 3, 1973 [54] TOY CALCULATOR FOREDUCATIQN 613,432 ll/l898 Szenhak 35/77 X ,2 .74 I918 H d 3 75 [76]Inventor: Motoi Hurue, 92 Aza-Nakamura, l 89 3 12/ ammo 5/ Ama-gunAichi-ken, Japan Primary Examiner-Wm. H. Grieb [22] F'led: Sept 1972AttameyLinton & Linton [21] Appl. No.: 288,408

[57] ABSTRACT [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Oct 2 197] Ja an46/772) A toy calculator comprises a flat case member with its pinterior space divided into parallel channels and calcu- [52] U S CI35/31 D lating bars having a form insertable into said channels. [51 1In} .0 19/02 some of numerals and Symbols constituting an arithme [58]Fieid 31 B 31 D tic equation are drawn on the calculating bar and the35231 E others and an answer numeral are drawn on the wall of thechannel. Windows are bored through the wall at [56] References Citedleast for seeing the numerals drawn on the calculating UNITED STATESPATENTS 565,797 8/1896 Roller 35/75 2 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures TOYCALCULATOR FOR EDUCATION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This inventionrelates to a toy calculator with which lower class school children orpreschool children amuse themselves to be interested in the four rulesof arithmetic. The toy calculator has a basic requirement that it shouldbe simple both constructionally and operationally. On the other hand itis desirable that exercises as many as possible can be carried out withuse of a calculator. Also, the toy calculator is preferably small,compact and elegant. Among the conventional toy calculators, there arethose of simplified slide rule type or those of abacus type. However,these types of toy calculators are not very simple in its operationbecause the children must count numbers such as a summand and asubtractor and shift a scale or beads by corresponding units. Further,these toy calculators can not display the equation for example of amultiplication or a division together with the result of the operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A toy calculator according to the presentinvention includes a case member and sectionalizing plates defining anumber of parallel channels and calculating bars having a form suitablefor slidable insertion into the channels. On each of the top wall of thechannels, some of an operated numeral such as a summand of an operationsuch as an addition, an operating numeral, an operation symbol such asand a sign of equality are drawn. The others of them and an answernumeral resulting from the operation are drawn on each of thecalculating bars. At least one window (an answer window) is boredthrough the top wall of the channel for seeing the answer numeral. Thewindows for seeing the answer numerals are not aligned in the directionperpendicular to the channels but are arranged obliquely with respect tothe channels. The answer numeral is drawn on the calculating bar at theposition where it can be seen through the answer window when thecalculating bar is inserted in the channel. A child can see the answernumeral through the answer window merely by inserting the calculatingbar into the channel. When other kind of operations are carried out orthe operated and/or operating numerals are changed, other calculatingbars are used. Because of the oblique arrangement of the answer windows,the calculating bars can be made of the same length and the child hasonly to insert the calculating bars by a common depth without changingthe depth of insertion according to different operations.

The salient relationships of the present invention have been describedand it will be clear that the toy calculator of the present invention issmall and compact in construction and is operationally so simple as evenpreschool children can easily operate and enjoy it.

IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plane view of a toy calculator with somepart of a top wall being broken away:

FIG. 2 is a developed view of one of calculating bars of the calculatorof FIG. 1:

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the calculating bar of FIG. 2 with partof it being cut away:

FIG. 4 is a section taken on line 4--4 of FIG. 1:

FIG. 5 is a plane view of another toy calculator shown an alternativeembodiment with some part of a top wall being cut away:

FIG. 6 is a developed view of one of calculating bars for the calculatorshown in FIG. 5: and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the calculating bar of FIG. 6 with somepart of it being cut away.

Referring to FIGS. 1-4, numeral 1 represents a flat case made of metalor plastics with its one end opened and the other end closed by an endplate 2. Eight sheets of sectionalizing plates 3 define the space of thecase 1 into nine parallel channels 4. Each of the channels is providedwith an answer window 5. All the answer windows 5 are not aligned in adirection at right angles with the channels 4 but are arranged obliquelywith respect to the channels. An operated numeral 6 such as themultiplicand of a multiplication is drawn on the extreme left hand partof the top wall of each channel 4. Each channel 4 is provided with anoperation symbol window 7 and an operating numeral (such as themultiplier of a multiplication) window 8 bored through the top wall ofthe channel 4 between the operated numeral 6 and the answer window 5. Asign of equality 9 is drawn on the top wall of the channel 4 between theoperating numeral window 8 and the answer window 5. Calculating bars 10have a rectangular section suitable for insertion into any of thechannels 4 and such a sufficient length that the grip portion 10' of thecalculating bar 10 can extend from the channel 4 when the calculatingbar 10 is inserted into the channel 4 by a full depth. On one of theside surfaces of the calculating bar 10, are drawn an operation symboll1 and an operating numeral 12 so that they may be seen through thecorresponding windows 7 and 8 when the calculating bar 10 is insertedinto the channel 4 by the full depth. On the same side surface of thecalculating bar 10, a series of answer numerals 13 are drawn so thatthey can be seen through the corresponding answer windows 5 when thecalculating bar 10 is inserted into different channels 4 by the samefull depth. The four side surfaces of a calculating bar 10 are assignedto the four rules of arithmetic respectively as shown in FIG. 3 and thenine calculating bars are sufficient if the operating numerals 12 arelimited to 1-9. Answer windows 5' may be bored also through the bottomwalls of the channels 4.

The operation of the above described toy calculator is as follows. Ifthe calculating bar 10a especially designated by reference numeral isinserted in the channel 4 corresponding to an operated numeral 2, thenan answer numeral 5 is seen through the answer window 5. If the samecalculating bar 10a is inserted in the channel 4 corresponding to anoperated numeral 1, then an answer numeral 4 is seen through the answerwindow 5. Thus, a child using the toy calculator can see equations 2+3=5and l+3=4 together with the resulting answer numerals by a very sympleoperation of insertion.

Referring to FIGS. 5-7, another embodiment is described. The space of aflat case 14 is divided intochannels 15 by sectionalizing plates 16.Only the one end of each channel 15 is closed by an end plate 17. On thetop wall of each channel 15, an operating numeral 18 and a sign ofequality 19 are drawn at the extreme left hand portion. Answer windows20 are bored through the top walls of the channels 15 to the right handside of the sign of equality 19. These windows 20 are arranged obliquelyas in the case of the foregoing embodiment. Calculating bars 21 have arectangular section suitable for insertion into any of the channels andsuch a sufficient length that a grip portion 21 formed as one endportion of the calculating bar 21 can extend from the channel. On theside surface of the grip portion 21, an operated numeral 22 and anoperation symbol 23 are drawn. Answer numerals 24 are drawn on the sameside surface of the calculating bar 21 at such positions where answernumerals 24 can be seen through the corresponding answer windows whenthe calculating bars 21 are inserted in different channels 15. Theoperation of the thus embodied toy calculator can be easily understoodfrom that of the foregoing embodiment and the description of the presentembodiment is omitted.

What I claim is:

1. A toy calculator comprising a flat case with its one end open,sectionalizing plates definining parallel channels, operated numerals,each of said operated numerals being drawn on a closed end side of thetop wall of each of said channels, operation symbol windows, each ofsaid windows being bored through said top wall to the right hand side ofsaid operated numeral, operating numeral windows, each of said windowsbored through said top wall to the right hand side of said operationsymbol windows, signs of equality, each of said signs being drawn to theright hand side of said operating numeral window,answer windows, each ofsaid windows being bored through the top wall of said channels to theright hand side of said signs of equality in a manner that they arearranged obliquely with respect to said channels, calculating barshaving a form suitable for insertion into said channels and combinationsof an operation symbol, an operating numeral and answer numerals drawnon the side surfaces of said calculating bars in a manner that one ofsaid combinations can be seen through said corresponding windows.

2. A toy calculator comprising a flat case with its one end open,sectionalizing plates defining parallel channels, operating numerals,each of said numerals being drawn on the open end side of each top wallof said channels, signs of equality, each of said signs being drawn tothe right hand side of said operating numeral, answer windows, each ofsaid windows being bored through the top wall of said channels to theright hand side of said signs of equality in a manner that they arearranged obliquely with respect to said channels, calculating barshaving a form suitable for insertion into said channels, grip portionsformed as an end portion of said bar extending from said channel whensaid bar is inserted in said channel, and combinations of an operatednumeral and an operation symbol, each of said combinations being drawnon the side surface of said grip portion.

1. A toy calculator comprising a flat case with its one end open,sectionalizing plates definining parallel channels, operated numerals,each of said operated numerals being drawn on a closed end side of thetop wall of each of said channels, operation symbol windows, each ofsaid windows being bored through said top wall to the right hand side ofsaid operated numeral, operating numeral windows, each of said windowsbored through said top wall to the right hand side of said operationsymbol windows, signs of equality, each of said signs being drawn to theright hand side of said operating numeral window,answer windows, each ofsaid windows being bored through the top wall of said channels to theright hand side of said signs of equality in a manner that they arearranged obliquely with respect to said channels, calculating barshaving a form suitable for insertion into said channels and combinationsof an operation symbol, an operating numeral and answer numerals drawnon the side surfaces of said calculating bars in a manner that one ofsaid combinations can be seen through said corresponding windows.
 2. Atoy calculator comprising a flat case with its one end open,sectionalizing plates defining parallel channels, operating numerals,each of said numerals being drawn on the open end side of each top wallof said channels, signs of equality, each of said signs being drawn tothe right hand side of said operating numeral, answer windows, each ofsaid windows being bored through the top wall of said channels to theright hand side of said signs of equality in a manner that they arearranged obliquely with respect to said channels, calculating barshaving a form suitable for insertion into said channels, grip portionsformed as an end portion of said bar extending from said channel whensaid bar is inserted in said channel, and combinations of an operatednumeral and an operation symbol, each of said combinations being drawnon the side surface of said grip portion.